Staff Sgt. Armando Cardenas, Louisville Company, counts the pullups of a high school student in the Army Strong STEM Zone at the VEX Robotics World Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, April 17.

STEM
Students Wow Recruiters at Robotics Competition

Story and photos by Fonda
Bock, USAREC, Public Affairs OfficeApril 21, 2015

Recruiters in
Louisville Kentucky spent four days last week engaging thousands of the
brightest students, their parents, and mentors in the world.

The forum
was the 2015 VEX Robotics World Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, April
15-18. More than 15,000 elementary
school, middle school, high school and college students from the United States
and 24 other countries participated in the robotics competition.

Organized by the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation (REC
Foundation), the Army sponsored VEX competitions
strive to integrate science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
into school curriculums. Throughout the school year, students guided by teachers
and mentors, design and build innovative robots designed to efficiently and
quickly solve the competition’s particular challenge.

The Army Strong STEM Zone attracted more
than 3,600 students. After registering their contact information, each was
assigned a colored wristband signifying the level of interest they’d expressed
in the Army. About 10 percent were
wearing yellow bands, which meant they were a high school graduates between the
ages 17-29, were U.S. citizens, and interested in talking to a recruiter.

Louisville Company recruiter Sgt. 1st
Class Stephen Langham was pleasantly surprised at how much genuine interest
these college-bound students had in learning about the Army.

“They’re asking, ‘How can I become an engineer in the
Army,’ Langham said. “How much money can I get for college? My grandfather did
this in the Army, is this still true? What’s the difference between the Army
and other branches?’

“I just
talked to a young man, who asked me about basic training and I could see his
eyes light up. He said ‘Man that sounds like so much fun, it’s something I’ve
always wanted to do.’

“Another kid
wanted to go to basic training, be an electrical engineer and wanted to know about
going to college. Now a junior, he said no recruiter has ever talked to him so
I gave him my contact information.”

Although
Long Island, New York student Corrine Marsh isn’t interested in the Army, she
said her brother is, so she gathered information for him. Her teammate,
Victoria Bal, is interested in learning more.

“I can see
myself doing it,” said Bal. “I don’t know that I have the strength, but I do
think the Army offers occupations I’m interested in, particularly in the
medical field.”

These
students aren’t just interested and smart; they’re physically fit, said
Langham.

“They may
not be the football, track, and basketball stars, but they’re fit. On average
they’re doing 15 pull-ups and 40 pushups. Some have done 80 pushups,” he said.

“You’d think
they’d be introverts, but they’re good at teamwork. Working on these
competitions in groups of five to accomplish a mission brings them out of their
shells. You can see them joking around and having fun together.”

The Army
Strong Zone included STEM challenges designed to test military specific skills.

The
Strategy Tower – solving a problem from beginning to end

Packbot
Robot area – showcased military technology

PT
– tested physical fitness

Board
Walk – building teamwork

Strength
Match – matched participants skills to different MOSs

The
competition also gave recruiters the opportunity to change perceptions about
the Army, said Langham.

“We get to
show people from every state and around the world that the Army is not just
about kicking down doors and taking names,” he said. “That we are getting more
into the fields of science, math, technology, and engineering and giving
students and opportunity to help pay for college. The students we’ve talked to
here are probably interested in the Army Reserve to help pay for their Ivy
League educations.”

Fifteen state and regional competitions -
featuring an Army Strong STEM Zone - were held across the country leading up to
the World Championship.

A student operates a robotic tank in the Army Strong STEM Zone at the VEX Robotics World Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, April 17.

High school students try to figure out the Strategy Tower in the Army Strong STEM Zone at the VEX Robotics World Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, April 17.

Sgt. 1st Class Stephen Langham, Louisville Company, coaches a student through pushups at the VEX Robotics World Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, April 17.

Students participate in the Board Walk - designed to build teamwork - at the VEX Robotics World Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, April 17.